Laurence Fishburne is a fan favorite already in nerd circles, thanks to his roles in The Matrix trilogy, but also his other major franchise appearances, including Mission: Impossible, Man of Steel, Predators, John Wick, and even more, but he has his eyes set on another major character. Fishburne has long been a very vocal supporter of Marvel, even before he joined the MCU as Dr. Bill Foster, aka Goliath, in Ant-Man and the Wasp, but the Emmy and Tony-winning actor threw his hat in the ring earlier this month by revealing to the world he hopes to play the new version of Professor Charles Xavier in the MCU’s reboot of the X-Men.
Speaking with ComicBook about the upcoming fourth season of The Witcher on Netflix, we couldn’t let the actor go without touching on his recent comments. Fishburne revealed that the reason he wants to play Professor X isn’t just because he’s at the right age to take on that character, but his desire is rooted in the fact that he’s been a Marvel fan for decades, something that many fans can definitely relate to. He also had an idea for what unique look would separate his take on Professor X from other live-action versions.
Laurence Fishburne’s Marvel Fandom Makes Him Want to Take on Professor X
When asked what about playing Professor X appeals to him as a performer, Fishburne made it clear how much he loves Marvel, harkening back to one of Stan Lee’s iconic sayings.
“I am a true believer in terms of the Marvel space,” Fishburne revealed. “Whether it’s Marvel comic books or the MCU. I was reading comic books at the age of six in New York City, and those writers and those artists were talking about things that were happening in the city that I was growing up in. So, of course, there are many characters in the Marvel Universe that I related to that I wished I could have played when I was younger. But I’m very, very pleased with the way that the movies have been cast. I’m very, very pleased with the way that they have played out. I’m a huge fan of all of those movies.”
He continued, “Professor X, at the moment, is, I feel, the most appropriate character for me to play at the age that I am at this point. And for the kind of roles that I am known for. It feels like it would be fit for me. So that’s why.”
We added that if Fishburne took on the role of Professor X, maybe he could bring back the iconic, oddly shaped eyebrows that defined Charles Xavier’s look in the pages of Marvel comics for decades. Fishburne laughed and added, “Well, I will speak to them if I am fortunate enough to fulfill this dream. If I am fortunate enough to realize that dream, I will certainly make the request about the eyebrows.”
Two versions of Professor Charles Xavier have made their way to the big screen, with Patrick Stewart originating the role in 2000’s X-Men and reprising it for multiple sequels and even an MCU appearance, plus James McAvoy in X-Men: First Class and its follow-ups. Stewart will return one more time for Avengers: Doomsday, but the future of the character after that point is up in the air.
Marvel has confirmed that they’re developing their own take on the X-Men, which will seemingly not make its way to theaters until after Avengers: Secret Wars. Not much is really known about the movie other than Thunderbolts* director Jake Schreier will be at the helm, but no word has been revealed on which characters will appear. That said, it would be impossible for an X-Men movie to make its way to the big screen without Professor X appearing, and Marvel has a Grade A talent knocking on the door to take on the part.
